Kerala: College girl booked for slapping eve-teasers!

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 20: The fact that a college student has been booked by the Museum Police here for slapping two men who tried to eve-tease her has riled women's activists in Kerala. They believe that the girl Amrutha Mohan did no wrong.

On Tuesday, the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court ordered the police to file a case against Amrutha as one of her eve-teasers had lodged a complaint that the bridge of his nose was broken when she punched him in the face on the night of Feb 14.

Magistrate TA Ramachandran stressed that whatever the provocation, no one should take the law into their own hands. Hence the Museum Police registered a case under IPC sections 342, 321 and 325.

The complainant Anoop, a temporary driver at the IT@School project, claims that Amrutha stopped the official vehicle of the project director in which he and his colleague Manoj had arrived at the Bakery Junction. According to Anoop, the group including Amrutha obstructed their work and thrashed both of them.

Amrutha had earlier complained to the Museum Police that the duo and one other person had passed lewd comments at her while she was returning home from Shanghumugham beach where the "One Billion Rising" programme was organised on Feb 14.

Amrutha was accompanied by her father Mohan Kumar and two friends at that time. A friend of Mohan Kumar was also part of the group which was standing beside a wayside eatery when Anoop and Manoj came to the spot and eve-teased Amrutha.

After she objected to their comments, the men tried to attack Mohan Kumar. Amrutha, a black belt in karate, then hit Anoop and Manoj. On the basis of her complaint, the duo was dismissed from service. Though the Museum Police arrested Manoj in this connection, he later obtained bail. Investigators are yet to trace Anoop.

Ever since the media highlighted Amrutha's boldness, she has received a lot of appreciation from several quarters. KC Rosakutty, chairperson of the Women's Commission in Kerala, is among those who have hailed the final year degree student of All Saints' College in Thiruvananthapuram for courageously standing upto the eve-teasers.

Amrutha is not at all deterred by the court ordering action against her. She is getting ready to fight the case.